Toy vehicle



Oct..9, 1923-. 1,470,441

W. T. GREEN TOY 111111101111 Original Fild Oct. 1920 a Sheet-Sheef. 1

. 25 v v "I I /IK W. T. GREEN TOY VEHICLE Original Filed Oct. 15, 1920 {g grmwnh'a WET e12 .2. reen,

w. TL GREEN TOY VEHICLE Oct 9 1923. 1,470,441

Original Filed Oct. 15, 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet mu 1 mun 25 n i 3 gwumfl'o'p l/t/drl'erz 1? (2 76622 Patented Get. 9, 1923.

u TEo STATES WARREN 'r. GREEN, str. LOUIS, Mrssoiiar,

ssIeNoR TO THE MENGE COMPANY, or

LQUIsVILLEQKENTUCKY, A COBBORATION or NEW JERSEY.

ToY 'vE icLE.

Application filed October 15, 1920, Serial No. 417,157. Renewed August 14, 1922. Serial No. ssisasl To all whom it ma a 007106772 Be it'known that LWVARREN T. GREEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented cer- 6 tain new and useful Improvements in Toy Vehicles, of which the following is a specification. i

This invention relates to toy vehicles, and more particularly to that type wherein the 1 operator or user straddles the seat and propels the device by placing his feet upon the ground or floor and makesa motion similar to Walking or running. p The main object of the invention is to provide a structure which readily lends itself to-"adjustment as to'height so that it may be made to accommodate children of various sizes; 1 i i I A further object resides in the provision of means whereby the front-swiveled steering wheel (orwheels) willbe limited in, its extent of swiveling movement, the arrangementat the same'time affording a staunch and rigid construction not likely to be readily broken or impaired during usage, which at times is rather rough and severe;

The construction is such that it readily lends itself to the en'iployment of runners as well as wheels, the feature of adjustment as to height of the seat with reference to the ground being maintained when the runners are employed.

With these reference will be had mgs, wherein and "other objects in view, to the annexed draw- Fig. 1 is a. perspective view of the vehicle Fig. 2 avertical sectional elevation of the front wheels, the fork and the steering head or turntable, taken on the line ll- 110f Fig. 7; I 1' I f i Fig. 3 a horizontal sectional View taken on the line 1Il'1llof Fig. 2; i

Fig. 4 a detail vertical sectional viewof the rearwhecl construction illustrating the brackets and the two axle receiving housings 'or bearings; t

Fig. 5 a rear elevation of the vehicle on a somewhat smaller scale with the front forks,

wheel and alli'cd parts omitted; Figsib? and 7 sectional elevations illus trating the wheelsin their interoh anged position to effect a variation in height of the seat o-rbody'p roper; i

"Figs. Sand 9 sldeand front elevations respectively, showing a modification of the,

steering head;

Fig.10 a sectional elevation ofa'still further embodiment of the invention wherein the principle of the steering head is re tained; and i Fig; 11 a sectional elevation illustrative Wheels With tained. i i v The preferred embodiment of the 'inven will [be first described.

tion is shown in Figs. 1 to 7, inclusive, and

The body" is of the usual construction,

comprising a seat 1, a relatively narrow reach section 2 and a forward end portion orhead 3,the latter being somewhat wider than the reach, Secured to the under face of the seat section l and'extending down- Wardly therefrom, andpreferably having a. rearward inclination are'two spaced brack ets 4' and 5. A filler block 6 is, by preferonce, secured to the under face of the seat intermediatethe upper ends of thebrackets, the brackets being likewise secured thereto to ensure rigidity. Each bracketfis bored to receive; two axle housings orbearing sleeves 7"and8, the housing 7 being arranged adjacent the lower e'ndsof the brackets,

while theo th cir, 8, is arranged above and spaced therefrom. These housings .make a tight fit inthe openings inthe' bracketsand being glued or otherwise. secured in place render the brackets rigid and' 'firm.

yThe'rearaxle is denoted by 9 and the wheels, as shown in Fig. 1 "by 10 and"11,the

latter being held upon the axle bycotter pins 12,;or any suitable securing means, Washers,

as 13,will preferably be placed on the axle to each side of the wheel. Under the arrangement shownin Figs. 1 and 6, said rear wheels are of adiameter less than the wheels 14- and 15' carried by the front fork which will presently be described. Axle 9 may be readily placed in either housing? or 8 and the smaller or'largerf wheelslplaced thereon, dependent upon whether-the axle is in the lower or upper housing, while the larger or smaller wheels are positioned in the front fork, see FigSLQGandF This arrangement admits of adjustment of the body as to height from the floor or ground with the use of the same wheels and without the employment of any movable adjusting devices, latches or similar means, h p

The front fork "may be. saidto comprise three spaced elements, a center element 16 and two outer elements 1'( and 18 each of said eleinents ormemb'ers being provided adjacent their lower ends with an opening through which an axle 19 extends, and upon,

their upper end being provided with a cross which the wheels 14 and 15 (or, and 11", as the case may be)--are mounted The axle is secured in place by cotter pins 20, and, as

' illustrated, is extended out at each end to provide foot rests when the vehicle is used for coasting, through, of course, suohprojecting ends may bG'OIIllllilGd.

A centrally disposed opening s formed in the forward body end 3 for the reception of a swivel or king pin 21-, the body being like wise provided with oppositely disposed arcuate slots 22 and 23, see Fig. 3, concentric with'the pin. A-diskQA underlies the end 3 and a similar disk 25 is placed upon the upper facethereof, said disks being connected by the swivel pin 21 and "by the upper'ends of the fork elements 17 and18hwhichlatterpass throughthe slots22 and 23 and are plate 24, the plate on-its under face being grooved to receive the element16 and to thus effect, a tight union or joint betweenthe parts; ,Sucli arrangement,;moreover, tends .to mutually fsustain and .bra'oe the elements and render the structure rigid'. The plates 24;. and 25 form, in effect, a turntable, with the pin 21 acting as a pivot about which the table turns. ,The upper ends of the elements 17 and 18 whiclrextend throughthe slots 22 and 23 prevent the turntable from being completely rotated by reason of the fact that theywill contact the end walls of the slots whenthe table is turned to its limit inone or the other direction. j .z

Surmounting the "upper element25 of the turntable or steeringhead is a vertically dis posedmember or, element 26 provided with ahandle bar 27 through which the turntable,

and consequently the. front steering fork.

may be manipulated. ,The lower end of said element 26 is let into plate 25 and'brackets 28 are providedto firmly securethe parts I together.

In Figs. 8 and 9 a, modificatioriof th e steering" fork is shown, while at-the ,same

time the turntable: arrangement s maintained, Under this .construction instead of having aplurality of forkmembers, asingle armor bracket 29 extends downwardly from the plate 24 and carries at its lower end an axle 3O uponwhichuare mounted wheels 31 and 32. Pinsv3 3 and 34; -interconnect .the

plates 24 and 25, passing through arcuate slots the forwardlbody. portion 3, said pins being the equivalent, in so far as connectof the smaller runner 39.

ing the plates is concerned, of the upper ends of the members 17 and 18. in the construction heretofore described. A center pin 21 will preferably be employed to prevent binding or cramping of the parts. I

In Fig. 10 a still further modification is shown wherein two bars 35 and 36 form the fork and the steering element, the bars at handle or steering bar Said bars 35 and 36 extenddownwardly through the plates 24 and 25 to which they are secured, and

through'the same arcuate slots as shown in Fiat. 3.

4 of the elements 35 and 36. As will =beflseen, the same turntable construction is present in this instance as in the other constructions. In Fig. 11 the applicability of runners to the structure is shown together with the feature ofinterchangeability of the runners to effect a variation in the height of1the seat from the ground or surface upon whichiv the .vehicle stands. In the full linegshowing. the forward runner 39 is fulcrumed uponfthe {front axle carried at the lower end of the steering fork and the rear runner, denoted by 40, is fulcrumed nponthe axle 9 when .the same is in the upper axle housing 8.

The height of the rear runner 40 is: greater than that of the front runner 39. lVhen it is desired toincrease the height of the vehicle the runners are shifted and carried to the dotted line position, as shown in Fig. 11. That is to say, the forward lower runner 39 is shifted to the dotted line position and'fulcrumed or secured upon the axle 9 when the .same is in the lower housing 7. The runner 40 of greater depth is thensecured in the front fork and the vehicle will be of a height indicated by the dotted line position.

The adjustment of the wheels and runners to effect the difference in elevation of the structure may be stated as follows, referencevbeing had to Figs. 6 and 11:

The distance A 13 between the centers of the axle housings 7 and 8 is equal toQ (R R in which R equals theradius of the larger wheel or the height or depth of the runner 40, and R equals the radius of the smaller ivheelsand the height or depth r I By maintaining th s relation of the parts the body of the vehicle will always be, maintained parallel to the surface upon which the vehicle bears.

Thatis claimed is p 1.111 a childs vehicle, the combination of a body having an opening formed at its. forward end with a pair of oppositely disposed arcuate slots arranged adjacent thereto; a pair of disk-like members respectively contacting the upperand lower-faces of said forward end; and wheel sustaining ill) and guiding means attached to said disks and extending through the opening and slots aforesaid. y y

2. In a childs vehicle, the combination of a body having an opening formed at itsforward end with a pair of oppositely disposed arcuate slots arranged adjacent said opening; at least one front wheel; and wheel carrying and supporting means associated with the forward end of the body and cooperating with the opening and slots aforesaid.

3. In a toy vehicle, the combination of a body element comprising a seat, a narrow portion and a forward head portion, the latter having an opening therein and two oppositely disposed arcuate slots concentric to the opening; a disk located upon the upper face of the head portion; a second disk located below the head portion; a center pin passing through the opening and connecting the disks; a member extending through each of the slots and into the disks; wheel supporting means extending downwardly from the lower disk; at least one wheel supported at the lower end thereof; means connected to the upper disk whereby the same and the parts attached thereto may be moved about the center pin; and wheels supporting the rear portion of the body element.

4. In a toy vehicle, the combination of a body element comprising a seat, a narrow portion and a forward head portion, the latter having an opening therein and two oppositely disposed arcuate slot-s concentric to the opening; a disk located upon the upper face of the head portion; a second disk located below the head portion; a center pin passing through the opening and connecting the disks; a pair of spaced fork elements extending through the slots anddisks and extending downwardly below the lower disk; a third fork element connected to the lower face of said lower disk and standing parwhereby the disk and the parts attached thereto may be moved about the center pin;

and wheels supporting the rear portion of the body element.

5. In a vehicle, the combination of a body element adapted to form a seat for the user thereof; a fork swiveled in the forward part thereof; an axle carried by the fork adja cent its lower end; a surface contacting element sustained thereby; a pair of axle housings; means for sustaining the same one above the other in spaced relation below the rear portion of the body element; an axle adapted to be placed in one or the other housing; and surface contacting elements mounted on said last named axle, whereby surface contacting elementsof different radii may be employed upon the front and rear axles and transposed from one to the other when the height of the body element with reference to the surface uponwhich the vehicle rests is to be varied.

6. In a vehicle, the combination of a body element adapted to form a seat for. the user thereof; a wheel sustaining element swiveled in the forward end of the body element; wheels removably mounted thereon; spaced brackets extending downwardly from the rear portion of the body element; a pair of axle housings extending between said brack ets, one above the other; an axle adapted to be mounted in one or the other of said housings; and a pair of wheels carried by said axle, the wheels being of a diameter different from that of the aforementioned wheels,

whereby the wheels may be interchanged and the axle shifted to one or the other housing to effect a variation in the height of the vehicle.

7 In a vehicle, the combination of a body element adapted to form a seat for the user thereof, a heel sustaining element swiveled in the forward end of the body element; an axle carried by said sustainingelement; surface contacting elements mounted upon said axle; a pair of axle housings having a fixed spaced relation; means for sustaining said housings beneath the rear of the body ele ment; an axle adapted to be placed in one or the other of said housings; surface con tacting elements carried by said axle, said last named surface contacting elements being of a diameter'diiferent from the first named surface contacting elements, whereby the height of the body element with reference to the surface upon which the vehicle rests may be varied by shifting the last named axle from one housing to the other and transposing the surface contacting elements from the front axle to the rear axle and from the rear axle to the front axle.

8. In a vehicle, the combination of a body member adapted to form a seat for the user thereof a wheel sustaining element swiveled to the forward portion of said body member; an axle carried at the lower end of said sustaining element; a pair of vertically spaced axle housings secured in fixed relation beneath the rear portion of the body member; an axle adapted to be placed in one or the other of said housings; and in dependent surface contacting supporting elements removably mounted upon each of the axles, said supporting elements differing in height to an extent such that the difference between twice the radius of one minus twice the radius of the other is substantially equal to the distance between. the axle housings.

9. In a childs vehicle, the combination of a body, said body at its forward end having 5 of disk-like members bearing respectively upon the upper and lower faces of the forward end of the body; a "front Wheel;

' means for supporting the same and interconnecting the disk like members, said means extendingthiough the opening and slots 1 aforesaid; and a steering handle connected to saicl'disks and means. a

In testimonywhereof I have signed my name to this specification.

WARREN T. GREEN. 

